Vehicle- wheels



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Feb. 27, 1923. 1,446,870, A- J- BURST, la. TRAGTIGN DEVICE FOR VEHICLE WHEELS,

FILED DEC-{791911} 3SHEETS-SHEET l Feb. 27, 1923. 1,446,870. A.|1. BURST, 1R. THACTION DEVICE FOR VEHICLE WHEELS:

l FILED DEC. 17, 19H. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

um! ml 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- Feb. 27, 1923.

A. J. BORST, JR. TRACTION DEVICE FOR VEHICLE WHEELS.

' man Dic 11 1911 and more particularly Apointed Patented Feb., 27, i923.

UNITED i srarEs ANDREVT J. BOR-STIn 'TRL'. OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

'rnncrron nnvicn non vnniciin WHEELS.' "y

yApplianceinea December 17, 1917. serial notam/A30.

lowing` is a specification.. n

My invention relates to improvements in traction devices for vehicles,` and it has for its primary object the pro-vision yof a'simple and effective. traction member'adapted to be 'applied 'to a vehicle Wheel and to` pass around a yielding and self-tightening idler sothat vsaid traction inembeir'will be kept taut and in absolute physical contact with the tire ot the `Wheel under allrunning con# 'dit-ions and so that'it may yieldivhen coniing in contact With an obstruction in thel road and atsuch times assist in lifting the vehicle Wheel overl the obstruction.`

Another object-oit my' invention is to pro# `vide a traction member `for vehicle Wheels 'which will, when the Wheel. enters a rut, tend to lift thei Wheel out of therut. y

A `turther object is to vprovideva traction member with a series otregularly `spaced flexibly-connected Ueshaped elements adapt;` ed, in the particular ilformshown, to straddle the tire of avehicle Whe-el to thek end that the member be securely retained on the wheel and so that a. grippingsurface ispro vided which is eective /underfall Working conditions vand particularly onsmooth and slippery pavements.

A further yobject is toy provide 'atraction beltl and means for, preventing slipping circumferentially of the beltlaiound the vehicle Wheel, and vto, otherwise improve on traction devices or attachments `for vehicle Wheels. f

With these and other robjects in view, the invention lconsistsin the novel4 features of construction, in' the arrangement and combinationfot yparts yto be hereinafter described out in the subjoined claims; y y

In the drawings,` j y Fig. '1 is la side elevation of a portion ot a ,truck with` my improved ,traction attachment l applied toonewof the rear vWlfieels thereof, there beingV a similar attachment` on th' `e.wheel at the oppositesideoi' thetruck.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sidey elevation of aw ay.

yits preferredforni.

.CL-c, Fig. 7.

vehicle wheel and thecadjacent portion of av kvehicle .showing my improved attachment y'applied around said Wheelv and supported on said vehicle portion. 'V

Fig. 3 is, a plan view "showingv opposite i lvehicle 'Wheels equipped with my improved attachment, the preferred-,forni being therein shown and the portion ot' the vehicle be# tween the Wheels having part .thereof broken Fig. 4 isv aplan view of a portion of the flexible traction member 1n what I consider Fig. 5 is asimilar view showing another Yform of traction member. v Fig'. 6 1s a plan vieavot one of the traction elements of the traction ineinber shoivingstill another form of'traction element.

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectionthrough the tire rim and elloe of av Wheel, showing one of 'the traction elements oic the traction .member in elevation ivith one extremity cumferential movement of the traction member aro-und the tire ot the vehicle Wheel.

Fig". 81s a vertical section l? 9 is a side elevationon an enlarged scale of a portion of the vehicle wheel and a portion ot' the traction member applied thereto.

"Fig: l0 is adiametrical section through the idler around T{vhich the traction member passes'. i Fig. 1l is a cross section taken on line l). Fig. 10. 'ln the drawings li have shown my invention in ditferent scales. Some figures illustrate the application of my invention and their relation or arrangement with respect to other partsot thevehicle Without showing` the particular construction or entering into details of the same; While in others, parts of `my invention .are :omitted for the sake of clearness.- 1n someliguresl have shown different i'ornisy of traction elements, allot said traction 4elements being, however, offfthe same general' plan and comingtully Withinthe principle.'involved.; X l represents the vehicle bodyivhich may be of any form or type, thatshow'n in lthe 'taken on' line v ri L) D drawings being a truck, as my invention is particularly adapted tor trucks or similar vehicles.

2 designates the rear traction wheels, one arranged at each side of the vehicle body. These wheels may have any practicable form of tire, but I have shown a solid rubber tire 3 vulcanized to a metallic rim 4, as best shown in Fig. 7, this rim being pressed onto the felloe band 5 surrounding the wooden felloe. 6. It is ofcourse understood that my invention is adapted for use in connection with any other form of tire, that herein shown being, however, one common form.

Applied to the vehicle body directly in `front of each of the wheels 2 is a tension device 7 including` an idler wheel 8 around .which wheel and the traction wheel 2, my improved `traction belt or member 9 is arranged. Each tension device comprises a hanger 10 pivotally secured at one end to the vehicle body or some other fixed portion of the vehicle and` provided with an opening 11 at its other end.

i 12 designates a support which is slidable within said hanger, it havinga 'forked portion 13 at one end within which said idler wheel 8 is journaled. 4itx-tending centrally ilrom said forked portion is a rod 14: which is slidablc within the opening 11 of said hanger and extends forwardly a distance from said hanger, the 'liront end oi the rod being threaded and having a suitable nut 15, preferably a thumb nut, threaded thereon. Between the nut 15 and the hanger 10, a coil spring 16 is interposed, said spring surrounding the rod 14 and bearing at one end against said hanger and at its other end against said nut. The front end ot the forked portion 13 bears against the rear edge or tace of said hanger, due to the action oi the spring 16. This spring may be placed under more or less tension by adjusting the nut 15 lengthwise on the rod 14.. The idler Wheel 8 may be mounted in the forked portion of the support in any suitable manner, but l preferably mount the same tor rotation on a spindle 17 having its opposite ends Jfastened in the opposite extremities of said forked portion. Said idler wheel comprises three main. parts or members 18, 19, 20, the irst being a cast iron rim, the third a steel sleeve separated 'trom the spindle 17 by an annular intervening space, and the second a wooden tiller interposed between said cast iron rim and said steel sleeve. lietween the spindle 17 `and the steel sleeve, annular roller bea-rings 21 are interposed7 which assure free rotary movement 0i the idler wheel on said spindle.

The traction member for each vehicle wheel comprises two endless chains 22 which are connected by my improved traction elements 23. Each traction element is sub# stantially of U-shaped formation, as shown in Fig. 6, and is adapted to straddle the vehicle tire with or without its rim. The endless chains 22 lie at opposite sides ot the tire and the traction elements are spaced apart with opposite extremities secured to said chains, each traction element comprising a cross or tread member 24 and two side or Yradial members 25. Each side or radial member is enlarged at its inner end, as at 2G, and has a notch 27 extending outwardly Jirom its inner end. By enlarging the inner end ot the side or radial members 25, an outwardly facing shoulder 28 is provided, as clearly shown in Fig. 7. Alternate links of the iiexible chain are arranged vertically while the links therebetween are arranged horizontally, the horizontal links being positioned between the enlarged inner extremities oit adjacent traction elements while the vertical links are connected to said extremities, the upper bars of the vertical links being above and resting upon the shoulders 28 of said traction elements and the lower bars being entered in the notches 2T ot said elements. lith a view ot securing these links in position on the traction members, each ot the enlarged portions or' said members is provided with an opening 29 through which a Cotter pin $30 is passed; The heads or Outer ends of said pins bear against the upper bars of the vertical links of each chain so that accidental removal ot the links from the enlarged extremities of the traction members is impossible. vThecross or tread members 24 ot the traction elements lie in'contact with the periphery ot the tire, and those which happen to be in contact with the road surface are slightly embeddedk in thev tire under the superposed weight. These cross or tread members are however7 either out et conn tact with said tire or rest only against the periphery ot said tire at other points along the traction member.

rl'his construction provides a flexible endless traction belt or member which passes around the vehicle wheel and the idler wheel associated therewith, and in traveling along smooth roads said belt or member is held taut by the tension device, the idler wheel er which is drawn forward by the spring lli. `illhen. however, the vehicle wheel. enters a rut.: or encounters an obstruction, such as shown in Fig. the lower stretch oit the traction belt or member extending forwardly trom the vehicle wheel to thc idler wheel is forced. inwardly, as shown iu Fig. 27 and under such conditions the idler wheel 8 is moved rearwardly, causing the hanger 10 to swing rearwardly with the same. l/Vhen the hanger is swung rearwardly to a certain degree the rod `ot the support 12 moves within the hanger7 causing compression of the spring 16. ,Thi 'ension device therefore accommodates to the strain applied to the lower itseliA face for the traction member and eliminates stretch of the traction member andv'when said stretch is pressed inwardly, the tendency, is to lift the wheel out of the rut kor lift-the same over the obstruction, as the case may opposite to those ofv the traction lmember at.v

the other side thereof so that asubstantially herring bone effectis obtained. vThisis a very important featurev of my invention, since the effect` of the traction member against the road surface at one side of the vehicle opposite that ofthe ymember atthe other side thereof, the members tending to draw inwardly toward a medial line longitudinally through the vehicle body .Or to pull outwardly from said medial line, depending on the direction in ywhich the traction Velements are inclined. xltor this reason these traction elementsinay be inclinedor arranged obliquely outwardly and rearwardly from the inside.y of the tractioninember, or inwardly and rearwardly from the outer side of the tractionmember, but in keither case the traction elements at one side of the vehicle-arer inclined oi" arranged obliquely, opposite to the inclination or arrangement-at the yother side of the vehicle. i

.In Fig. Iy havev shown the tractionrelements arranged yin direct transverse lines; that is to saya they areatright anglestothe flexible chains or'totheline of ti'avel of the vehicle.,l IVliether arranged. obliqnely as shown in Iiigs.4 3, and 4: or atright angles to the line oftravel o'l'the vehicle, as shown in Fig. 5, said traction elements may have lateral extensions formed thereon, alternate f and a forward extension 32, and each ofv the traction elements therebetween are provided with two rearward extensions 33 and 'two forward extensions 311, the extensions 31, 32 enteringthe spaces betweenthe two extensions 33 and thek two extensions 34 of the intermediate traction members. -"I`his, in effect, provides a. continuous bearingsiirtht extensions 32 are still in contactwith the road surface while the extensions 29 therebetween are moved into contact with the road surface and so that the extensions 32 are still in contact with the road .surfacek while the extensions are moved into conthe extensions thereon;

tacttherewith. This is particularly desirable.' onk hard .surfaced roads, especially on Cobble stone pavements, since it` prevents the Cobble stone entering betweenithe main por tions of said tread members, which would causeconsiderable noise andundue jarring n of the vehicle.

`When using avehicle equipped with my invention mainly on soft roads, the traction membersmay be formed as shown in Fig. 6; that is, without the extensions 31, 32 or 33 and 34. Y i

In Fig. 6 I have shown the tread members '24rof the traction elements formed without the extensions. In this case the traction elements are arranged in a line at right 'angles to the line' of travel of the vehicle,

but it is clear that oblique traction elements shown in Figs. 3 and 4l may be used without In order to prevent slipping of the traction member` on the vehicle wheel, retainer rings` 35 may ber secured `to the felloe of the wheel at opposite sides thereof by means of bolts 36'passing through said rings and felloeand having nuts 37y threaded onto one i of the `ends thereof. Each of these retainer rings is yprovided, at intervals with out- ,wardly-extending lips 38 .which enter the kspaces between the extremities of the tractionelements, asbest shown in Fig. 9. The

i forward edges of the enlargements at the extremities of certain traction elements bear against said `lips lwhen the vehicle wheel is rotating in one direction and the' rear edges of thev enlarged extremities of certain trac-y tionl elements bear, against said lips when the wheel is rotating in the oppositev direction, the lips being somewhat narrower than the space between the enlargements of two adjacent traction elements. A

The tread members 24 and the extensions 31and 32 ori-33 and 34 thereof are preferably taperedinwardly at their edges so that when. travelingover mud roads, or snowcovered roads, theywill enter the mud or snow and drawA out easilywithout the tendency of packing the mud or snow between the traction elements', the. inwardly beveled. edges of the extensions being clearly shown in Figs.` 7.v 8 and 9, Aand the tread member being similarly formed. f v, It is apparent from the foregoing, ,that many changes could be made in the above described construction,y and` therefore vin accordance with. the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation and use yof `my invention together with the construction which I now consider to represent thel best embodiment thereof, but lI desire to have it understood that widely different embodiments could be made without departing from the scope of this invention; it being intended that the above description and the accompanying draw ings are to be considered illustrative of the invention and are not to be interpreted in a limiting sense.

Having thns described my invention, what l claim is,-

l. ln a motor vehicle, the combination with a 'traction Wheel, of a hanger pirotally secured to a, portion of 'the vehicle,- a supporting member slidably retained Within said hanger, an idler Wheel rotatable on said supporting member, a flexible traction member surrounding said traction Wheel and said idler wheel, and means associated with said supporting' member 'to maintain said traction member taut and to permit said snpporting member to yield under undue pressure applied to said traction member at any point between said wheels.

2. ln a motor vehicle, the combination with a traction Wheel, of a hanger pirotally secured to a portion of 'the vehicle and depending from its point of piif'otal coimection thereto, a supporting member slidably arranged Within the lower end of said hanger and having a rod extending forwardly7 therefrom,` a nut adjustable on said rod, a coil spring surrounding said rod and bearing at opposite ends against said hanger and said nut, an idler Wheel rotatable in said supporting member, and a. traction `belt surrounding said traction Wheel and said idler wheel.

ln a motor vehicle, the combination with a tract-ion Wheel, of a hanger pivotally seeuredat its upper end to a portion of the rehicle, suiiiporting member comprising a. forked portion at one side of said hanger and a rod slidable in said hanger and projecting a considerable distance from. the other side of said hanger, a nut adjust-able on said rod. a coil spring surrounding said rod and bearing at opposite ends against said hanger and nut, an idler Wheel rotatable in the forked portion of said supporting member, and a traction belt surrounding said traction Wheel and 'idler Wheel.

4L. A traction beltcompris-ing spaced rigid U-shaped traction members, each traction member comprising a tread portion and inwardly projecting arms at opposite ends of said tread portion, each of aid arms being enlarged at its inner end and provided With a slot extending outwardly from` its inner end, and an endless chain connecting opposite ends of said traction members, certain of the links of said chains fitting onto the enlargements of said arms with a portion thereof entered into the notches at the inner ends of said arms.

5. A traction belt comprising spaced U- shaped members having lateral enlargements at opposite ends and notches extending outwardly from opposite extremities, chains connecting the ends of said traction niemloers together with ai portion of certain links of the chain resting upon the outer faces of said enlargements and portions of said links entered into said notches, and cot-ter pins passed through said enlargements to retain the links in secured condition.

6. T he combination `vith a vehicle Wheel, of a traction belt comprising a plurality of rigid U-shaped traction members straddling the marginal portion of said wheel and being flexibly connected together at opposite ends, and a retainer ring secured to the felloe of said Wheel and having outwardly projecting lips entered between the ends of adjoi ning traction members.

7. rlihe combination with a vehicle Wheel, of a plurality of spaced U-shaped traction members straddling the marginal portion of said Wheel, means for flexiblyconnecting the ends of said members at opposite sides of the Wheel, retainer rings secured to opposite sides of the wheel felloe and having means co-acting with said traction belt members to prevent slipping of the latter on said Wheel.

8. rEhe combination With a vehicle Wheel, of a. traction belt surrounding said Wheel and comprising a plurality of spaced rigid U-shaped cross members straddling the marginal portion of the Wheel, means at opposite sides of the Wheel. for flexibly connecting opposite ends of said members, and means rigidly connected to said Wheel co-acting with said cross members to prevent slipping of the belt on the Wheel.

9. rlhe combination With a vehicle, of a plurality of U-shaped cross members straddling the marginal portion of the wheel and being` flexibly connected together at opposite sides of the Wheel, and retainer rings secured to the wheel felloe at opposite sides thereof and each haring outwardly projecting lips entering the space between the ends of two adjoining cross members.

ln testimony whereof l afiix my signature.

ANDRE J'. BURST, Jr. 

